Dancing With the Stars of Florence: Meet Celebrity Rick Ryan

Posted: Thursday, January 15, 2015 7:39 pm

STAFF REPORTS

What is your previous dance experience?

My wife suggested before our wedding that we take dance lessons for our first dance. We took six or eight lessons, 30-45 minutes each. We wanted to be able to do something more than a twirl, or a dip. When they called us out, I forgot everything we learned for a minute and I will probably do the same with this (Dancing with the Stars of Florence) too.

Do you have a go-to move, at wedding, parties, etc.?

I don’t have a go-to move; what I do is kind of dictated by the song. Sometimes though I will walk up and do a spin ; it usually gets a lot of people to laugh. That is kind of an inside joke with my friends.

How was the first practice? Was it easier or harder than you expected?

The first practice was pretty easy. I think my partner (Georgeanna Kelley) relaxed a little when she realized that there wasn’t anything I wasn’t comfortable doing or any limitations on the things I would at least try to do. I am glad , though , that we will have a lot more practices between now and the event.

Best piece of advice your partner has given you so far?

Georgeanna and her mom (Burnadene Kelley) knew some of the contestants from before so they were telling me ‘He was about your height and your build and he was able to do this’ and ‘He didn’t pick this up as quickly as you’ so that felt good, knowing I wasn’t doing badly.

How does it feel to be the ‘celebrity’ in your pairing?

There was a small group from my high school that had a get together last weekend. They saw in the last article that I was a ‘celebrity’ so my friends were dying laughing over that. They were asking if there would be a time for pictures and autographs. If my ‘celebrity’ status brings more attention to The School Foundation, I’ll be a celebrity all day long.

What are your responsibilities at NBSC?

I handle commercial lending like opening new business accounts, any type of cross-networking with mortgages.

Rick Ryan and his partner Georgeanna Kelley will be dancing to Uptown Funk.